Posted on 05/18/2020 8:58:30 PM PDT by nagant
Houston church cancels Mass after coronavirus outbreak Holy Ghost Catholic Church has canceled public Mass indefinitely while members of the religious order remain in quarantine. HOUSTON — A Southwest Houston church canceled public Masses until further notice after five members of its religious order tested positive for COVID-19 and a priest, who died last week, may have had it, too. The five members of the religious order live and work at Holy Ghost Catholic Church. The church said a priest, Donnell L. Kirchner, died on May 13 and may have been infected with the virus as well. Father Kirchner was 79. The church said those who tested positive are in quarantine and are asymptomatic. Two priests who tested positive were active in celebrating public Masses at Holy Ghost since it reopened on May 2. Holy Ghost is asking anyone who attended Mass at the church since it reopened, should monitor their health and get tested for the coronavirus. "It’s a real sad situation, we want to make sure that all the parishioners and the priests are in good health,” parishioner Steven Foxford said.
(Excerpt) Read more at khou.com ...
Now the rest of us get to encounter these parishioners everywhere.
This is fuel for the fire for the modern day Neroes aka State Governors who want to pin the blame for CV 19 spread on sacramental/liturgical Christians.
One of the very early alarmist “breaking” news stories was of an Episcopal Priest in the metro DC area who tested positive several days after (gasp!) he had dared to distribute the Holy Eucharist at his parish.
Note the ensuing over-reaction in many states—today, thanks be to God, overturned by the Federal Courts (NC only).
Matthew 16:18
The gates of hell wont prevail against the church Jesus founded so why should a virus prevail?
Yes, sadly, you’re right.
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
this little "practice" as you call it is the foundation of all that Catholics believe and its not some quaint little thing that means nothing....
this could have happened just as easily in a diner, or at a store, etc....
lucky for you that you may continue to hide under your bed.
I wonder if we’re looking at one of the main reasons why plagues were so abundant in the Holy Roman Empire .....besides rat-infested communal grain storage.
Whenever a priest offers me the body and blood of Jesus Christ, I’ll take it.
and no real sewer systems and lousy hygiene
How can we be shocked or surprised? China did this to the planet in 1969 with the "Asian" and "HongKong" flus.
We have to face the fact: the Chinese live in FILTH. Then, they EXPORT it. The reason they live like this? Cleanliness COSTS. Filth requires no cleanliness. The Chinese believe in two things: luck and money. I've asked Chinese-American friends over the years and THEY were the ones who said that to me.
It's not so with the American Born Chinese/ABCs. They are 100% American.
I haven't eaten in a Chinese restaurant for 25 years because I KNOW of their filth. A Chinese friendly acquaintance warned me: when you eat in a Chinese restaurant ALWAYS sit in the center of the room. That way you won't see the cockroaches running up the walls.
This flu WAS/IS the "perfect storm" for the oldsters. But, our trade with China will continue unabated...$cheap$ goods.
Another "perfect storm" from China will come again next year. I wonder what ITS name will be.
“this little “practice” as you call it is the foundation of all that Catholics believe and its not some quaint little thing that means nothing....
this could have happened just as easily in a diner, or at a store, etc....
lucky for you that you may continue to hide under your bed.”
I really get it. This particular form of communion is REALLY important to Roman Catholics. I’ve had to give up important things for this pandemic to save people I love and care about. Catholics and the Catholic Church could be responsible return the favor to the rest of us until this is over.
If your mom told you not to jump off of a bridge would you jump off of it anyway just because you have rights?
I was chatting with a parishoner recently and posed the question of what are we going to do about Communion when Mass is public again.
She responded something about we can trust Jesus and shouldn’t worry about the virus.
I countered with something about Jesus never telling us not to use our common sense.
I’m sure she was sincere but I’ll bet she also uses her seatbelts when she gets in her car and doesn’t leave it all to Jesus.
Welp, ya just know when a post starts with "I'm a Christian" that what follows is remarkably unChristian.
Now the rest of us get to encounter these parishioners everywhere.
Thanks for living down to the stereotype.
Who knows? Some call it Covid 20.
Read the article. What happened happened. It is what it is.
I don’t think you have any idea at all what the practice is at that church regarding communion. They probably aren’t offering wine, and there are ways now being used to distribute communion wafers so they aren’t touch by the priest.
I’ve always found such behavior very interesting/funny.
“I don’t think you have any idea at all what the practice is at that church regarding communion. They probably aren’t offering wine, and there are ways now being used to distribute communion wafers so they aren’t touch by the priest”
You might be right. Some priests might have changed. I don’t think you know how these five priests conducted the communions in question. I certainly don’t. I only know what’s customary, and it’s not what you said.
The virus got transmitted to these five priests in some way though. I’m pointing out the most likely way.
They were all members of the same religious order and lived together. The priest who died was 79 yrs old, and most of the others are probably older too. It may have been the housekeeper or some other employee who exposed them.
In any case, the likelihood of their exposing others through Communion is virtually non-existent. Public masses (that is, with the public in attendance) were suspended for awhile and in addition they are not offering the chalice but simply distributing the host to communicants (in their hands). On top of that, eating is not one of the ways the virus is transmitted.
“With the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of sharing a wine chalice “
They most likely were not doing that since no parish that I know of is. They have not been doing it since the outbreak started three months ago.
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